NBA

Magic optimistic following 1st year without Howard

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP)

It will be hard not to look back on the Orlando Magic's 2012-13
campaign as being similar to an expansion season.

It certainly resembled one on paper.

From a roster filled with first- and second-year players, to far
too many lopsided losses to count, and ironically the exact same
12-29 home record as in their inaugural season, the only thing that
seemed missing in Year 1 of the post-Dwight Howard era was a
ribbon-cutting ceremony.

A deluge of injuries also had a role in the stark regression
following Howard's offseason departure. Still, following a
league-worst 20-62 finish, in many ways the Magic go into the
offseason viewing the year positively in regards to their on-going
rebuilding process.

''We won 20 games, so I can't really give myself a pat on the
back,'' general manager Rob Hennigan said Thursday regarding the
state of the team. ''We feel good about how we're positioned for
the future. We feel good about the players we have. But every man
knows that we have a lot of work to do still.''

Not only do the Magic have the best chance to land the top pick
in the upcoming NBA draft lottery, they have a cache of future
draft picks and increasingly more salary cap space to work with
going forward.

That may not be a titillating proposition for fans to ponder,
but is one Hennigan insists is of value.

''We have a challenge ahead of us. We know we have to get
better. We believe we will get better, and I think the group we
were able to establish this season is a really good starting
point,'' he said. ''We're still a ways out, but I would think we're
a little bit closer than maybe the perception tells us.''

The Magic have to wait until the May 21 draft lottery to find
out where they will be picking in June. After six consecutive
seasons in the playoffs, it will be their first lottery appearance
since 2006 when they drafted J.J. Redick.

It's created a much different feeling heading into the offseason
for veterans like Jameer Nelson, one of the last remaining links to
Orlando's most recent run of success.

''Losing is tough. Nobody wants to lose,'' Nelson said. ''Change
is tough. Obviously the season, for me, didn't go the way I wanted
to go in terms of winning and things we're normally used to. But
through it all, I've had fun. It's just a new chapter in my career
and my life, in terms of leading and doing things differently, and
being around guys that are younger.''

Among those young pieces the Magic are looking to build around
are Nik Vucevic and Tobias Harris - both finishing up their second
seasons - and rookie Maurice Harkless.

Thanks to the Magic being out of playoff contention fairly early
it afforded coach Jacque Vaughn the chance to give them all lots of
playing time down the stretch.

And each did their best to give the Magic fans hopes about their
individual ceilings.

Vucevic averaged a double-double this season, averaging 13.1
points and 11.9 rebounds per game. His 46 total double-doubles was
the third-highest total in the league behind only Golden State's
David Lee and the Lakers' Howard.

With his first opportunity to play meaningful minutes Harris
wore Howard's old No. 12 jersey and averaged 17.3 points and 8.5
rebounds in it. And the athletic Harkless also showed lots of
upside appearing in 76 games with 59 starts.

''We have good pieces for a bright future,'' Vucevic said.
''Guys are already itching to get better and have a better season
next year. That's something I like about this team. We're all
competitors. People here want to win. That's something that's going
to be important.''

That said, with such a young roster, no veteran seems to be
untouchable as far as possible offseason movement.

Redick, who had an expiring contract, was traded during the
season. Others could face similar fates.

Forward Hedo Turkoglu will likely be bought out. He is owed $12
million in the final year of his contract, but only half of it is
guaranteed. Al Harrington is due about $7 million over the next two
seasons and said Thursday that he doesn't expect to remain in
Orlando.

Vaughn said whatever happens this offseason regarding the roster
is largely up to Hennigan and that he will trusts those
decisions.

''I'm a coach for the guys he has for me in the locker room, and
I always keep that approach,'' Vaughn said. ''Will we have
communication - yes. And making decisions together? Yes. But we'll
have a group of guys who want to be in the locker room for
sure.''

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